New Lower Providence community development director hits the street running

Michael Mrozinski, new Community Development Director at Lower Providence, in his offices April 17, 2014. Photo by Gene Walsh / Times Herald Staff

LOWER PROVIDENCE — The township’s new community development director, Michael Mrozinski, credits his Quaker faith for persuading him to return to college and pursue a career in community and regional planning.

The 52-year-old Upper Dublin resident was serving as the business manager for Kurtz Construction Co. in Philadelphia from 1994 to 2005 and piggy backed the classes for a master’s degree in community and regional planning at Temple University’s Ambler campus on top of his regular job. He got his degree in May 2005.

“Sept. 11 woke us up. We’re Quaker and I decided it was time to put up or shut up,” Mrozinski said. “We were planning on the second child and we also wanted to pursue community things. Paige went back for another master’s in environmental education and I went back for community and regional development. I was in the first part-time class going through.”

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After graduation Mrozinski became the zoning officer and planning and zoning administrator in Warrington, Bucks County, from 2005 to 2007. In 2007, he was promoted to director of planning and development in Warrington and ran that township department until 2011.

“C. Thomas Hilton had written a book about saving our land. We have all this built-up structure and it is all walkable and liveable,” he said, “and yet we’re eating up farm fields to put up houses. That was part of my interest in getting into a position where people could look at the issue differently.”

Mrozinski pointed out that he was obligated to follow all of the land use and zoning rules of Lower Providence that both guide and allow the development of new projects in the township.

Mrozinski grew up in Upper Dublin, graduated from Upper Dublin Senior High School in 1979 and earned a dual, political science and secondary education, social studies degree at Penn State University in 1984. He was a teacher and coach at the Pinkerton Academy in Derry, N.H., from 1987 to 1990 and served as an intern for 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania in 2004.

He and his wife, Paige, a home school educator, have lived in Upper Dublin for 20 years. They have two children — Christopher, 15, and Manya, 11.

Mrozinski replaced Randee Elton as community development director. He started his $70,000 job on April 3 and has been familiarizing himself with the community for the past two weeks.

“I’ve gotten involved with as many residents as possible. I was just walking a muddy back yard with someone who wants to put up a shed to do homesteading,” he said. “On another day I met with a Montgomery County developer about a potential project.”

Last Monday he looked at two sign violations on Ridge Pike and spoke to the business owners. On Tuesday afternoon he investigated two storm water complaints in the southern part of the township. On another day he investigated a two-generation, neighborhood dispute between neighbors about parking and snow clearing issues.

“There are limits to local government. We can’t protect him from the alleged harassment,” Mrozinski said. “We suggested mediation rather than pursuing it on a criminal basis.”

Mrozinski’s first Lower Providence Planning Commission meeting will be held next Wednesday night. A zoning text amendment regulating parking and outside storage for the self-storage unit in the Eagleville Plaza will be reviewed.

“I’ve come to have a strong affection for Lower Providence and the people,” he said. “I have become immersed in the township and I want to do a good job to move the township forward.”